Reminder - This is not one of my official writer's reviews, therefore it is in a more laid back style.
Wow. What an amazing experience! I don’t know if I’ve ever played a game series on a Nintendo device with as much focus on story as the Xenoblade Chronicles game. The cut scenes are a large chunk of this narrative-driven game. Each game has introduced differences that set it apart from the others; the original introduced this unique fighting mechanic, X had mechs you could drive/fly, and XC2 built upon the original game while throwing in a Pokémon-like blade system (which was a whole lot of fun!).
Visually, this was a step in the right direction for the series, in my opinion. Unlike X, which had a more artistic taste as well, this game found the perfect lighting and all the colors really pop. Honestly, I believe I took my screenshots of this game than I did of Breath of the Wild, which is saying something.
The story was beautiful, both the main and side stories. The game is filled with cutscenes, narrative building “heart to heart” moments, and an extraordinary amount of linear progression. The story of this series is always the strong point. Whereas X left a lot of open questions, this game resolved quite a few from the original game and made this series somehow connect with other series. The ending of the game was particularly powerful and makes me all the more curious about where this series will go in the future. The gameplay slowly introduces you to new techniques, which is appreciated but isn’t obnoxious about it. The music only continues to impress; I think I liked it more than the previous two (X had some great songs, but also some horrible ones like that one in New LA).
Overall, I had a blast playing my 60-70+ hour gameplay experience with minimal side questing. It’s definitely not a short game, but if you’re like me that’s ok as long as it’s because of a good story.
Originality: 16 /20
Graphics: 10 /10
Art Style: 15 /15
Story: 30 /30
Music: 5 /5
Controls 4 /5
Is it fun? 13 /15
Total –
93 / 100
Non story– 90 / 100
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition – 100
Warhammer: Total War = 98
Zelda Skyward Sword-98
Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle - 96
Shovel Knight – 95
Shadow of Mordor = 95
Zelda Breath of the Wild – 94
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 93
Hyrule Warriors – 93
Batman: Arkham Asylum – 93
Lego City Undercover Switch - 93
Zelda Minish Cap – 92
Bayonetta 2 = 91 NR
Bayonetta (Wii U) – 91 NR
Zelda Oracle of Ages – 91
Metroid Fusion – 91
Paper Mario – 90
Overwatch – 90
Zelda Twilight Princess – 90
Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon - 90
Guildwars 2 – 89
Mario and Luigi: Dream Team – 89
Shadow of War - 88
Pokemon X – 88
Kid Icarus Uprising – 88
Darksiders 2 - 88
Fire Emblem Awakening – 88
Super Mario Odyssey - 87
Portal 2 – 87
Portal – 87
Assassin’s Creed 4 Wii U – 86
Zelda Windwaker HD – 86
Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story – 86
Mass Effect - 84
Super Mario Maker = 84
Dishonored - 84
Animal Crossing New Leaf – 84
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark - 84
Paper Mario Sticker Star – 83
Rome 2: Total War - 83
Zelda: A Link Between Worlds-83
Mario and Luigi Paper Jam - 82
Batman Arkham Knight - 81
Batman: Arkham Origins – 81
Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga – 80
Trine – 80
Medieval 2: Total War - 79
Zelda: A Link to the Past – 78
Civilization 6 – 77
Mass Effect 3 – 77
Xenoblade Chronicles 3ds - 76
Mass Effect 2 – 76
Mr. Shifty - 74
Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D – 74
Black Ops 2 - 74
Rome: Total War-74
Yoshie’s Wooly World – 73
Super Mario 3d land – 72
Diablo 3 – 72
Pokémon Ultra Sun - 72
Fire Emblem Warriors - 72
Just Cause - 71
Paper Monster Uncut (Wii U) - 70
Red Alert 3 – 70
Xenoblade Chronicles X - 70
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze - 68
Snake pass - 66
New Super Mario Bros. U – 66
Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia - 58
New Super Mario Bros. Wii – 57
Assassins Creed 3 – 57 NR
Sea of Thieves - 54
Player Unknown Battlegrounds – 53
Shiftlings Enhanced Edition - 53
Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition – 53
Old Man’s Journey - 47
Mighty Gunvolt Burst - 47
Puzzles and Dragons Z: Mario Edition - 46
Kirby Squeak Squad – 43
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3d – 42
Subnautica - 40
Yoshi’s New Island - 27
Project X Zone - 18
NR means Not Recommended based on inappropriateness.
Non Story – A score that has nothing to do with story, for those of you with less narrative concerns.
